Women Shellfishers’ Role In Managing ‘Women’S Forest’ And Conservation Challenges In Youtefa Bay, Indonesia, Helmawaty E. Rumbiak

Open Access Master's Theses

Mangrove forests in Youtefa Bay hold critical ecological and cultural significance for the Enggros community, particularly for women. Known as the “women’s forest,” this area is where Enggros women harvest shellfish and collect firewood. Women shellfishers have a close relationship with the forest, where they connect with their children and other women. However, rapid urban development and pollution around the mangrove ecosystem have negatively impacted the women shellfishers and their role in managing the mangrove forest. Shellfishing activity will likely decrease as urban development around the forest increases, and more waste flows into the forest. This research examines the role …

Assessing Flood Resilience In West Virginia Communities: Integrating Physical, Institutional, Socioeconomic, And Environmental Dimensions, Anahita Mahmoudi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Flooding is one of the most frequent and damaging natural hazards in the United States, with impacts expected to intensify under changing climate conditions. In regions such as West Virginia, complex terrain, development patterns along river corridors, and socioeconomic disparities contribute to elevated flood risk. Traditional approaches to flood risk assessment often focus on single dimensions of vulnerability or rely on binary floodplain maps, which do not fully capture the spatial variability and multidimensional nature of flood resilience.

This dissertation develops an integrated, community-scale framework for assessing flood resilience in West Virginia by combining physical, environmental, institutional, and socioeconomic dimensions …

Walking And Wondering, Helen T. Tran

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis approaches walking as a form of inquiry and the Flood Wall as a site open to reinterpretation. I believe that the way we walk changes the way we observe and experience the world around us. This contrast between purposeful and leisurely walking reveals how time and intention shape our awareness of space. When walking is no longer dictated by urgency, it invites observations and questions. Slowing our pace allows curiosity to emerge, which aligns with my design ethos of asking questions as a foundation for understanding and creating meaningful experiences.

The Flood Wall’s emphasis on uninterrupted movement prioritizes …

Revival Through Resilience In The Post-Mined Landscape: Demonstrating The Socio-Economic Context Of Appalachia And Exploring How Community Infrastructure And Cultural Tourism Can Be Catalysts For Economic Regeneration In Appalachian Communities, Azita Tasnim Ritu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Post-industrial communities across Appalachia continue to experience economic and environmental challenges following the decline of coal mining and related industries. Towns such as Smithers and Montgomery, West Virginia, reflect these conditions through economic stagnation, population loss, aging infrastructure, and degraded landscapes, creating an urgent need for sustainable redevelopment strategies.

The Appalachian Regional Commission emphasizes economic diversification, infrastructure investment, and community revitalization as critical components for improving regional quality of life. However, many former mining communities continue to struggle with underutilized heritage assets, degraded landscapes, and limited economic alternatives. Cultural landscapes and local identity remain significant but often overlooked resources that …

Landscape As Expo: Reimagining Desert Landscapes As Climate-Adaptive Cultural Infrastructure In Las Vegas, Parinaz Baradaran Anaraki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Contemporary desert cities face increasing environmental and social challenges driven by climate change, including extreme heat, water scarcity, fragmented ecological systems, and limited access to high-quality public open space. In many rapidly urbanizing regions, conventional urban development has marginalized desert landscapes, treating them as vacant land rather than valuable ecological and cultural assets. This thesis proposes Landscape as Expo as a new framework for transforming desert landscapes into climate-adaptive cultural infrastructure, where ecological processes become both functional systems and public experiences.

The project focuses on a 140-acre site within the Tule Springs Planning District in North Las Vegas, Nevada, identified …

Data-Driven Methodologies For Mapping Cultural Heritage: The Case Of The National Coal Heritage Area, West Virginia, Usa, Hossain Mohammad Nahyan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this dissertation was to develop a comprehensive, data-driven spatial framework for characterizing the complex cultural landscape of the National Coal Heritage Area (NCHA) in West Virginia. By transitioning away from traditional, heuristic spatial mapping, this research integrates advanced spatial statistics, machine learning, and GIS-based methodologies to objectively quantify the physical, visual, and cultural dimensions of the post-mining environment. The research is structured around three interconnected empirical studies, each addressing a specific scale of the Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) framework to support heritage conservation and sustainable spatial planning. The first paper focused on landform classification, developing an automated …

Built Different: Place, Identity, And The Holistic Well-Being Of Female Student Athletes, Jaye Mack

Theses and Dissertations

This research furthers the conversation surrounding holistic female student-athlete wellness, recognizing that their experiences can be inequitable – influenced by the intersectionality of race, gender, and athletic identity (Armstrong et al., 2018; Druckman et al., 2018; Neeley et al., 2021). This research accredits the physical environments where athletes train, recover, and connect as an underexplored factor in holistic well-being.

The Indivisible Self Model of Wellness (IS-WEL) was used to (1) explore the influence of physical design features on female student athletes' holistic well-being and (2) understand how their identity shapes how they experience and attach meaning to their team environments. …

Efficacy And Safety Of Semaglutide In Adults Without Diabetes Who Are Overweight Or Obese, Rebecca Petty

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

INTRODUCTION:

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and contributes to the leading cause of death in the US — heart disease. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) have recently emerged as a treatment option for obesity. The purpose of this clinical review is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of semaglutide in adults without diabetes who are overweight or obese.

METHODS:

PubMed was searched using a precise search strategy and the key terms “semaglutide,” “weight loss,” and “without diabetes.” Results were filtered and narrowed using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Four high-quality studies were …

The Bmt: Will This Time Be Different?: Red Hook Braces For A Mega-Project On The Waterfront. Can It Avoid The Mistakes Of Atlantic Yards?, Steve Kastenbaum

Capstones

"The BMT: Will this time be different?" investigates how New York City's push to rapidly build housing is reshaping communities. A $3.5 billion mega-project at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal promises transformation through 6,000 apartments, a modernized port, and waterfront improvements, but residents are split on whether it represents progress or displacement. The development uses a controversial "general project plan" process that bypasses normal community review, the same approach that enabled the still-unfinished Atlantic Yards project. Local voices in Red Hook range from excitement about investment, jobs and amenities to fears about gentrification and broken promises. This pilot episode launches a …

Efficacy Of Oil And Gas Production Site Remediation In U.S. Arid/Semi-Arid Regions, Skye Ontiveros

Architecture and Planning ETDs

Oil and gas production (OGP) is expanding, paralleled by its polluting leaks and spills (LS), and outpaced by its waste. This raises the question: Does remediation of LS occur effectively when needed to protect the environment and public, particularly in major producing regions like arid/semi-arid regions (ASAR), which account for approximately 72% of US oil and 42% of gas production? To answer, a review of the eight largest national remedial laws, sourced from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), identified 14 OGP exemptions for remedial determinants (RDs): factors affecting remedial frequency and efficacy (e.g. LS monitoring and chemical disclosure). An …

Responding To The Urban Canvas: Murals, Preservation, And Placemaking In Meridian, Ms, Katy Kemalyan

Theses and Dissertations

Public murals that depict elements of local culture and history are a creative placemaking tool increasingly used by preservationists invested in the revitalization of their historic districts. As this trend rises, it becomes necessary for preservationists to ask what should be painted, restored, or left alone? Research on public murals neglects Southern mid-sized towns, considerations of existing murals, and historic architecture used as substrates. Rectifying this omission and employing geographic surveys and stakeholder interviews, this study seeks to expand which genres of murals are considered for their creative placemaking value. Normally distinguished primarily by source in literature, community murals, ghost …

Building Roads To Engagement: A Survey Of Post-Secondary Community Engagement Education In Transportation, Meghan E. Kolin

Master's Theses

Community engagement is a critical part of the urban planning process for both academics and practitioners, but transportation planning’s significant technical knowledge requirements and focus on special interest groups make such engagement difficult. As such, college- and graduate-level transportation planning programs must include significant education about public participation practices. However, little research exists regarding how community engagement is taught in these programs or how well this education prepares students for real-world practice. This research is aimed at filling this gap by answering two questions: first, how transportation-focused post-secondary programs in the United States conduct community engagement education; and second, whether …

Changing Perceptions: A Philosophical Exploration Of The Phenomenon Of Light In The Urban Environment, Robin S. Miller

Full-Text Theses & Dissertations

Phenomena are extraordinary (beyond ordinary), exceptional, remarkable, or unexplainable people, events, or things which elicit words such as “wow,” “that’s incredible,” and “oh my goodness.” Within the experience of everyday life, phenomena can produce joy or despair. In the field of philosophy, phenomenon (the singular form of phenomena) is identified as an immediate object of sensation or perception and something which appears, is perceived, or observed through the senses or known cognitively. Light is often the catalyst for phenomenal moments: a flash, a rainbow, the manner with which sun strikes an object at the perfect moment to catch the viewer’s …

From Inside The Recording Studio, Mckayla J. Adkison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This project documents the historical, technical, and creative significance of recording studios through both industry examples and the design and construction of a personal backyard studio. By examining iconic studios such as Abbey Road and Capitol Records, the paper highlights how technological innovation, acoustic engineering, and architectural design have shaped the evolution of recorded music. These concepts are then applied to the planning and construction of a custom-built recording studio, emphasizing room dimensions, sound isolation techniques, acoustic treatment, lighting, and sustainable design choices. In addition, the project addresses the importance of aesthetics and emotional comfort in creating a space that …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

Built For Participation: A Set Of Measures For Evaluating Community Living For People Of All Abilities As Supported By The Built Environment, Christopher A. Wilson Ii

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

As the world enters a new era of urban living, it is important to develop cities that allow residents of all ages and abilities to fully participate in society. Integration of people with disabilities into daily community living involves looking beyond site- or product-specific features to community- and city-wide systems. Some tools have been developed to begin evaluating cities’ levels of inclusive social participation and to provide recommendations for city planning professionals. However, the tools that have been developed often are too complex for practical use or rely on data that varies in obtainability. Therefore, the purpose of this series …

Spatial Strategies For Restoring Native Biodiversity And Connectivity In Managed Landscapes Of The Upper Clutha Basin, New Zealand, Jessica Zuban

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Across New Zealand and around the world, biodiversity is declining due to the widespread loss and fragmentation of native habitat. This is especially true in agricultural landscapes, where native habitats have been replaced by intensive land use. This research focuses on the Upper Clutha Basin in Central Otago, New Zealand that has been significantly altered over time by farming, development, and other human activities. As a result, only a small amount of native vegetation remains, and the region is well below the critical threshold needed to support healthy ecological systems.

This study investigates how native vegetation can be strategically restored …

Practical Effectiveness Of Large Language Models In Assisting Landscape Architects In Plant Selection, Paul Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming many industries, but its role in landscape architecture remains relatively unexplored. This study examines how AI, specifically GPT-4, can assist landscape architects in selecting plants for projects. By comparing AI-generated plant lists to those that human experts created, the research evaluates Accuracy, Suitability, Availability, Aesthetics, and Professional Usability.

The results show that AI-generated plant lists were highly efficient, accurately matching site conditions and improving plant availability while significantly reducing selection time. However, human expertise was essential for ensuring aesthetic quality and design intent. While AI can serve as a powerful tool for streamlining plant …

Evaluating High School Students’ Perceptions About The Construction Industry: Views To Consider And Improve The Inclination Towards A Career In Construction, Radhika Soni

All Theses

The construction industry continues to face a critical workforce shortage, intensified by declining interest among high school students who often hold narrow or negative views of construction careers. This study examines students’ perceptions of the construction industry, the experiences that shape those perceptions, and the factors influencing their likelihood of pursuing construction-related careers. A mixed-methods design was used, consisting of a survey distributed to students in Grades 9–12 across the upstate region of South Carolina. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Spearman correlations, while qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis.

Findings show that most …

Care Starts Before Entering The Clinic – A Holistic Approach To Assessing Primary Care Access At Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Cory E. Hauptman

All Theses

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the world’s largest military treatment facility and the primary provider of healthcare to the military, their families, and military retirees in the Washington DC area. The federal government is legally bound to provide access to primary healthcare services to Tricare enrollees within a 30-minute travel time of their residences. This time constraint has only been applied to the transit period from a patient’s residence to the base where the care is provided and has not accounted for the time it takes a patient to get to the clinic once they arrive at the …

The Iron Pyramid: Expanding The Iron Triangle To Integrate Safety As A Fundamental Dimension Of Construction Success, Laura Cooley

All Theses

For more than fifty years, construction project success has been judged by staying on schedule, remaining within budget, and completing the planned scope of work—an approach commonly known as the “Iron Triangle” (Barnes, Ph.D., 2006). While these measures are important, they do not capture the full range of factors that determine whether a project truly succeeds.

This study introduces the “Iron Pyramid” (Cooley, 2025), a model that expands the traditional framework by adding a fourth dimension: safety. Safety is understood not simply as regulatory compliance or the absence of injuries, but as a holistic construct encompassing project culture, leadership practices, …

The Effectiveness Of Public-Private Partnerships In Addressing Residential Urban Development Challenges In Greater Cairo, Sara Nagy Abdelmessih

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the effectiveness of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in tackling the residential urban development challenges facing Cairo today. In the past two decades, PPPs have emerged as a dominant mode of housing production, positioned as collaborative ventures between state agencies and private developers. They have become integral to the expansion of Greater Cairo, producing vast new urban extensions under the promise of mobilizing private capital, technical expertise, and delivery capacity. Yet, questions remain about whether these arrangements genuinely address Egypt’s most urgent housing needs, or whether they reproduce market-driven logics that leave large segments of the population excluded. The …

Addressing Climate Vulnerability And Policy Gaps Of Heat Waves In Upper Egypt: The Case Study Of Al-A’Qaab Village In Aswan, Eman Abdullah

Theses and Dissertations

Heatwaves are currently one of the most dangerous climate hazards globally. Egypt is experiencing an increase in the intensity and frequency of heatwaves, which affects health, economy, infrastructure, and the ecological system. Upper Egypt is one of the most vulnerable regions in Egypt to rising temperatures, particularly in Aswan Governorate. The risks of heat waves are increasing vulnerability among vulnerable groups, such as women and low-income individuals. However, there is a clear gap in protection policies against heat waves, along with a lack of studies examining the effects of heat waves on individuals in Aswan. Accordingly, this thesis aims to …

Effect Of Workplace Design On Collaboration And Satisfaction In Space System Command, Joshua A. Hagood

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses a significant knowledge gap regarding the influence of physical workplace design on employee collaboration and satisfaction with the physical environment within U.S. Space Force technical military organizations.  While seminal industry research consistently demonstrates that physical design and indoor environmental quality influence employee satisfaction and collaboration (e.g., Candido et al., 2015; Sailer et al., 2021), the understanding of these impacts within military contexts remains limited.  Using a quantitative post-occupancy evaluation survey, adapted from the Sustainable Post Occupancy Evaluation Survey (SPOES), multiple regression analyses revealed that physical elements collectively predict both satisfaction and collaboration.  The final simplified model showed …

What Is Lost When Time Is Saved: Drawing In Collaboration With The Urban Periphery, Carmen Ribaudo

MFA in Visual Art

I pay attention to the overlooked spaces where land and industry meet, prompting me to wonder what can be gleaned in the oily and cracked urban periphery. With a focus on my hometown St. Louis, this industrial city is my subject matter. And so, I draw in a neighborhood bisected by a highway. I animate with sand near the river confluence on land preserved after a historic flood. I make my own bricks in this Brick City, setting up in locations of former terra cotta clay mines. I sit in the tension of what author Michael Martone calls the “midwestern …

Enhancing Client Intake Efficiency In The Removal Defense Program: A Nursing-Led Quality Improvement Initiative, Johnny Linares, Julia Tran Ngo, Daniel Orea, Atheana Yadira Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

This quality improvement project focuses on optimizing the intake process for the Removal Defense Program at a nonprofit immigration legal office serving asylum-seeking clients. The existing intake relied on unstructured, phone-call-based intake interviews that gathered incomplete information, leading to inconsistent documentation, reduced efficiency, and significant client processing delays. A structured, multilingual, and multiplatform new-client admission protocol coupled with the implementation of a client-facing resource guide for waitlist clients were co-developed and implemented using the Lippitt Change Theory framework. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, the study involved staff interviews and observational assessments with staff members from the program. Baseline intake process …

More Than A Ramp: Rethinking School Design For Sensory And Cognitive Inclusion, Andrew Ho

University Honors Theses

This thesis advocates for the integration of the ASPECTSS framework, developed by Magda Mostafa, into legislative standards that would govern the design of educational environments that accommodate students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Drawing on evidence from a case study demonstrating significant improvements in student behavior and overall satisfaction through ASPECTSS-based interventions, the thesis highlights the urgent need for these principles to move beyond voluntary adoption and rather, toward enforceable design mandates.

The ASPECTSS framework includes the seven following criterias; Acoustics, Spatial Sequencing, Escape Spaces, Compartmentalization, Transitions, Sensory Zoning, and Safety. This model provides a comprehensive and actionable approach to …

Tools We Use: Evaluating Uav And Photogrammetry Workflows For Early-Stage Site Documentation; Comparative Analysis For Small Landscape Architecture Firms, Bryant Baugus

Theses and Dissertations

Landscape architects utilize advanced technologies in the design process. Advancements in automation and data capture have opened up new opportunities for UAVs and photogrammetry to produce high-resolution imagery, contours, and 3D models. By leveraging UAVs early in the design process, landscape architects are able to maximize advantages: site analysis through computational software, 3D sectional information, and hydrology prediction. This research focuses specifically on the advantages UAVs offer compared to established workflow methods. It examines four unique workflows for early-stage site documentation: capturing the site with UAVs through photogrammetry, generating a site plan from publicly available GIS data, gathering information from …

Variables That Affect Designers’ Use Of Edible Planting In Residential Landscape Design, Emily Margaret Butler

Theses and Dissertations

Edible landscaping or “foodscaping” has had a resurgence into the mainstream. Though many trailblazers aim to encourage edible landscaping through homeowners and renters, there seems to be a lack of initiative from designers. To identify the variables that can affect a designer’s use of edible planting in the residential Southeastern United States, research and statistical methods were employed. Beyond interviewing an expert in the field of edible planting in the residential space, a survey consisting of both Likert and open-ended questions was sent to licensed landscape architects in the Southeastern U.S. The survey was conducted using Qualtrics and analyzed using …

Documenting Children’S Use, Physical Activity, And Social Play In Tom Lee Park’S Playscape, Laurel Kelton

Theses and Dissertations

The benefits of nature and physical activity on children’s health and development are well documented. However, many children lack access to nature and physical activity. Researchers have found that “innovative playgrounds” —which, by definition, are more likely to include natural elements that facilitate nature immersion— are associated with increased physical activity and duration of stay. This thesis is a case study of a public innovative playground at Tom Lee Park. It sought to understand the playground’s areas and physical characteristics that have higher levels of use, physical activity, and social play and longer durations of stay. Data was collected over …